§7-1-3m. Authority to employ, fix compensation for and discharge
personnel.
In addition to all other powers and duties now conferred by
law upon county courts or tribunals in lieu thereof, hereinafter
referred to as county courts or courts, such courts are hereby
empowered to employ, fix compensation for and discharge such
clerical, stenographic, technical, professional and other
personnel, including specialists and consultants, as may from time
to time be necessary to aid such courts in exercising their powers
or discharging their duties as provided by law and including a
county administrator, to coordinate the court's activities and to
do such other things as the court may direct: Provided, That such
courts shall not have the power to employ any such personnel to
perform powers and duties that are performed by such courts through
their clerks pursuant to law.

The county courts shall, not later than March twenty-eight of
each year, take up and consider the probable amount necessary to be
expended for such personnel in the following fiscal year; shall
determine and fix an aggregate sum to be expended during the
following fiscal year for the compensation of such personnel, which
shall be reasonable and proper, taking into account the amount of
labor and services necessary to be performed by those who are to
receive the compensation; and shall make and enter an order stating
any action taken in this regard.

The county courts shall file with their clerks a statement in writing showing such action and setting forth the name of each
person employed pursuant to the provisions of this section, the
time for which employed and the monthly compensation. Such courts
shall have authority to discharge at their will and pleasure, any
such personnel by filing with their clerks a statement in writing
showing such action, to be entered in, and made a part of, their
order book or other daily record book. All statements required to
be filed by this section shall be verified by the affidavit of a
majority of the members of the county court making them, and among
other things contained in the affidavit shall be the statement that
the amounts shown therein were the amounts actually paid or
intended to be paid to each person employed without rebates, or any
agreement, understanding and expectation that any part thereof
shall be repaid to any of such members making said affidavit, and
that nothing has heretofore been paid or promised any of such
members making said affidavit on that account, and that if any of
such members making said affidavit shall thereafter receive any
money, or thing of value, on account thereof, the same will be
accounted for and paid to the county. Until the statements
required by this section shall have been filed, no allowance or
payments shall be made by the county courts for personnel.